I alternated between worrying about James and myself, [with ‘flu, not a cold, as it turned out] in the days up to Borderline.James had a message put up on JMLive that he was fit to do the gig and that eased the pressure somewhat, as we’d been bothered that he might have to cancel if he wasn’t well enough.

I was booked on the 13.15 but again I had left lots of time to get there [pesky buses are damned erratic] and I simply got on the next train after I arrived, it being a direct one made it irresistible.For the same reason, no-one checked tickets on the train as Cambridge now has turnstiles to access the platforms.Smooth transition, no walking for sodding miles to the Tube this time, and Tottenham Road station was via Euston.

*Interesting to note. Marks & Spencer actually have a food shop on the platform at KC now and I grabbed a salad & macadamia nuts, just in case*

You do walk miles underground at the stations but I found the way out eventually and simply turned left down Charing Cross Road and Manette Street was third on the right, easy peasy.I passed a café on the way and saw Ro at a table, with some other girls and knocked on the window, saying I’d be back before I went to check-out the queue.

There weren’t many people there actually, this being about 2.30pm by then, which sort of surprised me.It had rained before I arrived and during the afternoon & evening, it rain a fair bit again.Some of the girls looked like drowned rats!I said hello to those I knew and let people know I’d be in the café and headed off for a coffee.

I hadn’t been there long when Ginger & Lene arrived, to my delight and after happy greetings, we settled down to eat & drink and catch-up on what they’d been doing, in equal parts.Sue arrived pretty shortly after, making my day!

We decided to go eat about 4.30pm, as 10.30pm really is a bit late and we’d be starving by then!

Various ladies came in & out of the café for the next hour and a half and we were in the perfect place to greet them all.It managed to rain again and we watched the umbrellas going up and down but it wasn’t heavy until we all got to join the damn queue and the heavens opened!

But we went and had dinner first at an Italian place, that was okay.There was some confusion over my order and I wasn’t very happy with them but it worked out ok in the end.Sue & I stayed on after Ginger & Lene went off to join the queue, there being no rush for us and we had more coffee and settled the fate of the nation until six-ish.I needed to find Nicky to give her my spare ticket and she just about danced a jig when I turned up!Ticket & money changed hands to mutual satisfaction and I walked down the queue, saying hello to everyone I knew.Lise’s hair was plastered to her head with the rain, poor love, but the roof of umbrellas protected most people.I left my brolly with her when eventually at about 6.50pm, the JMLive ladies came and let the ‘walking wounded’ in.

Stairs were a bit nasty but we made it.Lisa met us and said security were being sticklers for health & safety and those disabled that needed help had to sit at the tables, right at the back!I SO did not want to do that!

I’m getting sick of this double standard, let you in early to negotiate stairs etc but expect you to be shunted way off to the side or back like Idiot Child.This is getting far too common now.I’m not saying they should all be able to sit on the front row but somewhere could be made available, where they can actually see the stage!The Point was dreadful and if we had had to sit at the back of the Borderline, it would have as bad.Union Chapel got it right, in that half of the first few pews were given over to the disabled and the other to the early queuers.The clubs are a law unto themselves, however, and DO NOT like us.

We stood by the bar talking to Lisa [checking James really was ok and swapping stories, having a good laugh about the rubbish that was appearing online about the Rift] and I saw that there were bar stools behind a small raised bar area, overlooking the stage.Lisa followed my gaze and said, ‘Can you handle a bar stool?’ – totally affirmative! – ‘Go for it’ .So Sue & I went and got a couple staked out, before grabbing a drink.This turned out to be pretty much the best seat in the house I thought, as I had a clear, uninterrupted view of the stage off to one side and it even had a bar you could put your feet on, perfect.And so it proved too.

Various girls left bags etc at our feet, out of harms way, no problem, as they stood in front of the stage.This is a pretty small club but Lisa says they sold 270 tickets.Safe to say, it was crowded but although a few sat intermittently on the stairs, they managed to fit in.I wouldn’t have thought there were that many there, but I’m obviously a rotten judge!

Eventually, everyone was in and Lisa came on to announce James Marsters! for the Q&A.He got a warm welcome and settled in right away – ‘I have a microphone and you don’t!’ but shout out and we’ll manage.We did too, even if some of the questions had to be ‘handed down’, which I obliged for Cara and the girl who wanted to know if James would teach at Julliard – no ****** way, basically!

James was very generous with the time and we got 45 minutes, instead of the scheduled 30, to the delight of all.This allowed pretty much everyone who wanted to, to ask a question, even me.I asked if he had enough songs for a new album yet and he said not quite, but he was working on it.He said he was thinking about doing an acoustic album and told us about the producer at the San Diego Indie Concert saying he thought James sang better when he was in direct contact with his guitar.That he could ‘feel’ the music and judge his pitch and key better that way, rather than through an earpiece with a band.James seemed to agree with him and I think I do too.He stays on key much better and even when his guitar playing wavers, his voice rarely does – unless he gets distracted!

There have been a lot of reports, and videos on YouTube, on the questions that were asked, so I won’t reproduce them here or the set list.Still odd to hear your own voice though, isn’t it??

There was a short break before the concert and I took advantage of it, to gallop off to the loo and stop to speak to Inky, Angela & Lena, amongst others and met a couple of new girls too, very sweet.

It wasn’t too long before James came back to sing to us and he did us proud.

To the delight of many, a lot of the songs have also come up on YouTube.It really is great to be able to see and hear James, if you couldn’t find the money to go.It doesn’t appear anyone has taped ‘Dangerous’, which I only mention because I spoke a word while he was singing.When he got to the line, ‘You’d leave me standing in the rain’, I said ‘Never!’ and it fell in that little pocket between the lines and he heard me!Luckily, it amused him as much as the girls around me, who laughed.*blushes*

He had a great set list and sang like an angel.I think this was James’ best concert of the week.

But all too soon, he was doing the encores and was gone.We cheered and yelled pretty good for him and I’m sure he knew how much we enjoyed the night.It was special, because of the close interaction of the Q&A and then to have him sing well and obviously enjoy it as much as we did.Great night.

We stayed where we were until the majority of people had left the club and sorted out who was doing what.Ginger & Lene found us and after saying goodnight to everyone and Sue, who could stay for longer – see you Friday at the Union Chapel! – I walked back to the Tube with them.They were on a different platform to me and we split up inside.I had to backtrack when I found my platform was closed!But thank heavens for escalators and I had time to find an alternative to get back to Kings Cross.I made it in good order and had enough time to grab a bite, before my train.

It was much quieter this time being mid-week and even though I called a taxi at the station when I arrived, I could have got one from the rank as there was hardly anybody there.Even then it was about 3am before I fell into bed.

Comments

Oh, thanks for the report! Brightens up a boring work-night. I´m counting down ´till the next 5 days off (on emore night to go).

I loved the Borderline concert, too. The Q&A kind of makes it more personal, the whole concert...

Yes, it was wet outside, hot inside,the lights sucked but the sound was great...

I love all those Youtube-stuff from Borderline / Union Chapel. Editing pics and watching/listening to the songs he did when I snapped the actual photos, makes it quite special... ;O)

I liked your pics from the Collectormania party! I can´t hear anything with that kind of background music, so I simply feel VERY stupid at parties.. Lou and I had our own party in the hotel-bar! Going through our photos and drinking beer. And sharing the lift with James & company at the hotel after that was a nice "The End" for the tour!

Lou had a set of very nice photos from the concert, promised to help her to get them posted somewhere!

Waiting for the other reports now... LOL No pressure then! Seriously, i'm working on it and a mini one on gropers and so on - man, they really get me pissed!i wasn't all that happy with James either on that first photoshoot at CM13 but i'll write that up to.Take care, petal, and enjoy your days off!xxx